Slow it Down - Time bending

[sclim]

Originally Posted by Danny

I once had the same experience in a skiing accident. While I was flying through the air, I was deciding how to land on my shoulder to minimize the impact. I had plenty of time to make the choice, but I guess I must have made the wrong choice (there may not have been a right one.) I wound up breaking a bone in my shoulder.

In May of 2014 I got hit by a car while bike training on the highway. I think I got knocked out, because I don't remember flying through the air, but I clearly remember the 0.5 sec of "##$$%%****" before the hit and the hit itself. I didn't enjoy that half second at all, no matter how I try to reframe it in retrospect. Had lots of physio and couldn't walk without a cane for 6 weeks. Broke a small bone, and took out my whole anticipated first real year of Tri competition.

[sclim]

But back to time bending -- what Andy was manipulating was the narrow time window to get an action done, an action that was painful or dreaded because of the stress, muscle and brain fatigue, and so was likely to be flubbed. By a mental trick he was able to turn off the dread and get the action done properly in good time.

I went on an 8 mile run today, and was slightly fatigued to start, so i thought about what Andy had done, and tried to finesse the strategy to help the task on hand. I thought about shortening the remaining time of the run in my mind. Then my mind drifted to another approach.

One of my recent issues in the pool was fatigue which may be related to oxygen starvation which in turn may be related to tension and fear of not getting more air. Bottom line is that in swimming air is a limited commodity, or at least it is limited only to certain time windows.

So I reframed my present experience, that is to say, running on solid ground; and though I felt slightly fatigued after swimming, I suddenly realised that I could view it as a great treat with unlimited air supply. So I luxuriated in the opportunity to get as deep and relaxed (not quite contradictory qualities if you're careful) inhalation and exhalation as reasonably possible. My joyfulness index rose markedly, and I stopped feeling sorry for myself. Before I knew it I was unconsciously running faster than I had initially intended without any conscious effort, and I had to make a special intent haul back my speed to what I had set for today! This was quite a mind opener!

The downside of this, I further reasoned, might be for me to dread my next swimming session because of my setting up the absence of the fear of not getting air as a good thing. So I tried to think what I could set up in my mind as something to look forward to in tomorrow's swimming. The best I could come up with, and in keeping with my most recent focus of getting a good non-slipping catch on the water, was to visualise what a poor catch I was getting in the air (I actually did a few dummy "catches" in the air, with no back resistance from the air at all!) and to really look forward to the opportunity of catching that lovely water tomorrow. Well, we'll see.

I guess this is not really time bending, I realise, even though it started out in my mind from the same idea. More like reality bending. Or perception bending. or "Glass Half Full", sort of idea.

[andyinnorway]

Originally Posted by CoachStuartMcDougal

Hi Andy,

Just trying to create some context around your images that's all. So if I understand this right, you are finishing or completing your stroke on the beep from the tempo - correct? And if so, then where is this done or completed? In front, at the hip, entry, or? What finish (or completion) made you the most relaxed in the water?

Stuart

Personally the stroke finishes at the point of maximum extension in the spear.

I haven't tried it again since my first post but will do so today, or at least test the effect of a very staccato stroke compared to legato at an easy tempo.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by andyinnorway

Personally the stroke finishes at the point of maximum extension in the spear.

I haven't tried it again since my first post but will do so today, or at least test the effect of a very staccato stroke compared to legato at an easy tempo.

I'm guessing that the staccato means focussing on the weight shift when your forward arm goes in, whereas the legato is focussing on as smooth a stroke as possible with minimal acceleration and deceleration. As with almost everything in swimming, it seems to me that these are two competing interests, each of which having its pros and cons, and the balance between them must be optimized on a personal level. The optimal solution is probably also speed dependent (just like loping).

Let us know what you find out.